Pietta 1851 .36 Navy at 100 yards.

[justinoldguy]

Went to the rifle range today to try out a barely unmentionsble rifle ( original 1873 Winchester) I acquired the other day at a gun show. Took along my favorite cap and ball revolver for kicks, a stock .36 Pietta Navy I have had for 35+ years. Rather than move benches from the 100 yard line, I just let fly with my Pietta, using my standard load of a .375 round ball and about 25 grains of Pyro RS powder and crisco lube. Maybe not competition winning precision, but certainly "minute of desperado" accuracy. Aiming point was the drawn black circle. At 100 yards, that round ball still completed penetrated a 2x4, or actually the short section of a left over a 2x12 Douglas Fir behind the target. Davis Tutt, along with this particular board thought the .36 Navy was up to the task.

 

[Bad Karma]

Nice shooting…

 

[bpd303]

Pretty darn good for 100 yards, I would have expected the POI to be a little low though.

 

[justinoldguy]

Pretty darn good for 100 yards, I would have expected the POI to be a little low

Most of the Colt repros hit way high at 25 yards. As much as 8" is not uncommon with a round ball, conicals hit even higher. A revolver hitting 8" high at 25 yards (@ 1000 fps or so) is still rising at 75, and doesn't come down to POA until 130-140 yards. I know this, and automatically compensate by aiming low if I desire to hit a specific spot or target. The Old West technique of aiming just above the belt buckle on the "Bad Guy" still works today. I could place a higher front sight on to lower impact, but I like my guns stock, and just learn to shoot them.